Harold Mackey
East Lyme — Harold J. Mackey, 92, of Niantic, died peacefully on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. He was a kind, hardworking, creative man who led a wonderful life. His family mourns his loss, while celebrating his life.
Harold was born on March 7, 1926, in Bridgeport, the son of Harold and Catherine (Keegan) Mackey. He grew up in White Plains, N.Y., where he met the love of his life, his future wife, Virginia (Harth), while in high school. They were married for 69 years.
During World War II, at the age of 17, he entered the New York State Maritime Academy, and in 1946, he was graduated with a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve and a U.S. Coast Guard third engineers license. He sailed aboard various ships with the United States Line including the cruise liner SS America from 1946 to 1949 as a refrigerator and steam engineer. Harold was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy in 1951 during the Korean War and served on the USS Benham until 1953. Following release from naval service, he attended New York University, graduating in 1956 with a mechanical engineering degree. That same year, Harold moved his family to Niantic and went to work at General Dynamics/Electric Boat, where he held various positions including lead design engineer and supervisor in the marine engineering dept. Known as “Mr. Subsafe,” Harold developed procedures and calculation methods used for submarine safety. He retired after 34 years of service.
Harold was a modest man with a strong work ethic, and was a man of many talents. One of his greatest achievements was building a house, with the help of his family, in the woods of Vermont. His also enjoyed creating landscape paintings and giving them away to friends and family, as well as handmade woodwork projects like tables, cutting boards, toys and toolboxes. He was a communicant at St. Agnes Church for 60 years and a member of the Knights of Columbus.
His wife, Virginia of Waterford; four beloved children, Denise Mackey-Russo and her husband, Dennis, of East Lyme, Brian Mackey of Mystic, David Mackey and his wife, Lorna, of Plymouth, Mass. and Russell Mackey and his wife, Karen, of Lebanon, Ohio; and six grandchildren survive him.
Calling hours are from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, at Thomas L. Neilan & Sons Funeral Home, 48 Grand St., Niantic. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at St. Agnes Church, 10 Haigh Ave., Niantic. Burial will be private.
Donations in Harold’s name may be made to the Center for Hospice Care Southeast Connecticut, 227 Dunham St., Norwich, CT 06360.
www.neilanfuneralhome. com.